When Love is Immortal
by Sakurazuka Lilly
Summary: How Tuor's and Idril's love was born and survived the fall of Gondolin. [Revised version, sorry for the previous mistakes]


Title: When Love is Immortal  
  
Author: Ithilwen )  
  
Pairings: Tuor/Idril,   
  
Rating: PG-13   
  
Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own any of the characters in this story, they all belong to our dearest writer J.R.R. Tolkien, from works The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.  
  
Summary: Tuor was destined to find the Hidden City of Gondolin, but he didn't know the precious treasure he would find there.  
  
Notes: This fic is un-betaed, if someone feels like betaing, they would make me very happy, as English is not my mother language. Oh, and the story is told from Tuor's POV.  
  
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Ever since Annael, my foster-father had told me about Turgon, High King of the Noldor, and how my father had helped him escape after the Nirnaeth, I felt a desire to find the Hidden City, where he dwelt. However, my foster-family and all the Elves I knew did not know the way, as they were not Gondolindrim, not even Noldor.  
  
However, the designs of the Valar are great, and it was because of the will of Ulmo, Lord of the Waters, and Voronwë, my appointed guide, that I finally passed through the Seven Gates and finally set my eyes on the Hidden Realm. It was beautiful, more than ever imagined, for after all, the Noldor were known for their skills in building all kinds of things.  
  
Lord Ecthelion of the Fountain, the Gate warden took Voronwë and me before the King to be judged, Voronwë for having brought an outsider against the Laws of Gondolin, and me, for ever daring to seek the realm. I hoped that he wouldn't be made an outcast, and as for myself, I hoped that Ulmo would protect me, for after all, I was his messenger.  
  
We climbed the stairs all the way to the King's tower, where he was seated on his throne. Two others were seated on both sides of him. On his right was a tall, dark-haired Elf, with eyes that could pierce iron with their gaze. However, my sight didn't stayed fixed on him for a long time, for on the High King's left hand sat a vision of beauty. She was tall, like all Elves, white-skinned with long, dark hair that looked like shiny silk. And her eyes were grey, like the colour of rain clouds skies, sweet like a spring shower, but with a sharp gleam that showed that the shower could turn into a storm, given the proper occasion.   
  
I cast aside my cloak, letting the arms I had taken at Vinyamar show. I could tell the King, as well as Ecthelion and many of the guards were impressed. These very arms, King Turgon himself had left them in his older realm, waiting until the one chosen by Ulmo would appear and take them. He looked at me for a long moment, and then said: "Speak, son of Men... Tell us the message you bear."  
  
The Lord of the Waters had told me he would put the right words in my mouth when the time came, and so far he had not failed me, as when I found Voronwë, or when I came before Lord Ecthelion. Now, once more, Ulmo spoke through me, delivering the King a message of both, hope and doom. The Noldor would have to abandon the Hidden City and seek the West. Only then they would be saved. If they did not heed to these words, their city, and all of them would be destroyed by the Power of Morgoth.  
  
"You said you are the son of Huor, and I'm in debt to him, for thanks to his help and of your kinsman Húrin, I was able to retreat during the Nirnaeth. However, you may never leave the Hidden City, as you know the way, and I will suffer no other outsider to ever learn the road into my realm, be him friend or enemy," the King said. I should have felt grieved for that, but I didn't. The King continued. "I will take some time to ponder upon the counsel of the Valar you have brought me. In the meantime, I shall have a room prepared for you, for you must be weary. I will send for you once I have made a decision."  
  
For the next few days, I didn't see King Turgon, except for a few glimpses, as he spent most of the days discussing with his advisors about the message from the Lord of the Waters. I could tell he was preoccupied by the words, but he fought some sort of internal battle, for he loved his City too much to leave it. And he still trusted in its secrecy.  
  
As for me, after having proven that I was not any thief, scoundrel, or a servant of the Evil, I was allowed to wander freely through the City, though I was not allowed to leave it. I had left behind the cloak Ulmo had given me, but I had not gotten rid of it. I had put it away, and maybe one day it would become a heirloom of my   
  
House.  
  
During one of these strolls I stopped to rest by the fountain in the King's square, thinking about the She-elf I had seen next to the King. By know, I knew she was Lady Idril, the King's daughter. And the other Elf was Maeglin, his nephew. I had seen any of them either. At least Maeglin must have been discussing with the King.  
  
During one of these strolls I stopped to rest by the fountain in the King's square, thinking about the She-elf I had seen next to the King. By know, I knew she was Lady Idril, the King's daughter. And the other Elf was Maeglin, his nephew. I had seen any of them either. At least Maeglin must have been discussing with the King.   
  
But my thoughts were not set upon him, but on her. What had captivated me the most were her eyes, the colour of the Sea near Vinyamar. For some reason, when I had been there, the longing for the Sea had awoken in my heart, something unheard of among mortal Men. I wondered if this another part of the destiny the Valar had set for me.  
  
So lost I was in my thinking, that I didn't hear anyone approaching, until I saw her image reflected by the water of the fountain. I turned to look at her, and immediately stood up to bow at her.  
  
"Good afternoon, my Lady." I said to her.  
  
She smiled sweetly and replied. "Good afternoon, my Lord. Not often has my father accepted a foreigner in his domain, but you're the third member of the House of Hador to have stepped into this realm. For a long time I had foreseen that the members of the Third House of Men would have their fates intertwined with ours."  
  
As I looked at her seemingly young face, I realized that was really much older than she looked. But that was not strange, as she was a princess of the Eldar.  
  
"You must have met my father then… And my uncle Húrin… Annael of the Grey-elves and my foster-father told me he had once been in Gondolin, before he married and my mother and went to the War…" I wasn't sure what made me speak of my father. I never had spoken to anyone about him, except Annael. But I hadn't met anyone else who had known him well.  
  
She nodded. "Yes, and I see much of him in you. You look a lot like him, and from what I can read in your eyes, I guess you also have his character. You will yet do great deeds, Tuor son of Huor," she said with a grave face, as if in my face my future was written.  
  
I didn't answer, and seemingly, she didn't expect me to. Idril simply smiled, as if saying I would understand her words someday. Then she left, as soundlessly as she had come. I wondered what role she would have in my life.  
  
However, I was not left alone for a long time, and indeed I wondered if I had ever been alone, for an Elf suddenly appeared from the shadows. I knew this Elf, at least from sight. It was the same Elf I had seen on the King's right after my arrival here, Maeglin.  
  
He walked to where I was sitting and glared at me with hatred in his eyes, and realized how well his named suited him. "Don't you dare get close to her again, son of Men. Do you even realize how high above you she is? She is a princess of the Noldor, and no mere Man could ever dream to win her heart. I'm warning you, next time I might not be as polite," he said, before turning away and leaving.  
  
At that time I didn't even consider what Maeglin's aim with his warning was. I simply thought he felt the duty to 'protect' his cousin from the 'bad intentions' of a mortal Man. More to that, I knew the Eldar, like the Edain, didn't wed with people who were of close kin. So I decided to heed his 'warning' for the moment, at least until the King decided what my position in the Hidden Kingdom would be. I would leave to her the decision of befriending a simple mortal. 


End file.
